District Newsletter: 01/02/2026

Reminders!

Jan. 5 (Mon.) - No Classes for Students; Teacher Workday

Jan. 6 (Tues.) - Students Return to Class Next Week

Jan. 19 (Mon.) - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No Classes; District Closed

How Bexley Schools Would Handle Federal Law Enforcement Arriving at Schools to Interview Students

Bexley Schools respect the right of all students, regardless of their immigration status, to attend school and we are committed to protecting the rights of our students, families, and staff and to providing a safe learning environment for all students. We want to share again how Bexley Schools would handle federal law enforcement arriving at our schools to interview students.

Per the provisions of Bexley Board of Education Policy JFG-R, the Bexley City School district does not permit law enforcement interrogations on school property without parent/guardian consent. An exception would be for cases in which a school official has made an independent determination that reasonable grounds exist for conducting an interrogation during school hours.

The Board policy also requires parents/guardians to be contacted before an interview takes place and for a school administrator to be present during any law enforcement questioning.

Further, if law enforcement presents a judicial warrant to school officials, then we must comply with the warrant. However, even with a warrant, we must contact parents/guardians before law enforcement questioning.

It is important to note that Bexley’s Board policy specifically states, “The schools have legal custody of students during the school day and during hours of approved extra-curricular activities. It is the responsibility of the school administration to try to protect each student under its control.”

In addition, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restricts school officials from sharing personally identifiable information included in students’ educational records without the consent of a parent/guardian.

We take this responsibility seriously and will work to ensure law enforcement does not infringe upon our students’ safety and security while on school property during school hours. We have reviewed protocol with school administrators on how to handle possible encounters.

Please contact your student’s school principal if you have questions, or send a message to info@bexley.us.

Montrose Elementary Students Make Donation to DARN 

Congratulations to Montrose Elementary students and staff who collectively raised $2,000 to donate to DARN on Giving Tuesday! Their gift was celebrated on Friday, Dec. 19, during a Moose Gathering before Winter Break began.

The assembly also featured the recognition of about 60 students who were honored for demonstrating RESPONSIBILITY, GRATITUDE, and EMPATHY during the quarter.

Breaking Bread and Building Bridges: Experiential Learning in Healthy Cuisine

The Healthy Cuisine “Breaking Bread” project offers high school students a unique and powerful experiential learning opportunity, blending cultural immersion with practical application to explore the interconnectedness of food, culture, health, and equity. This initiative, which evolved from collaborations with the Columbus Global Academy and Local Matters, is currently focused on connecting students directly with the stories and cuisines of our community’s immigrant population.

Central to the project is an authentic, cross-cultural exchange. Healthy Cuisine teacher Marybeth Motasem and her husband personally visited local ethnic restaurants to find chefs and owners willing to share their personal immigrant journeys with students.

During a recent visit, a restaurant owner shared his inspiring story of moving from Dubai to Columbus and opening his own restaurant despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted the importance of using fresh, scratch-made ingredients and sourcing Halal-certified meat from Michigan. This conversation provided students with direct insight into:

• Reasons for Immigration: Students learned that personal and professional opportunities are key drivers for moving halfway around the world.
• Cultural and Religious Impact on Food: The owner explained the significance of Halal food in Islam, describing the ritual of preparing meat with a knife, citing a verse from the Quran to ensure the animal is treated humanely and the meat is pure and healthy. He also discussed the practice of Ramadan, a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, and how the timing shifts each year, making summer fasting particularly challenging due to long daylight hours and heat.
• Passion and Experience: He emphasized that his three decades of culinary experience, gained in places like Dubai and Lebanon, were crucial to his success, reinforcing the value of continuous learning.

In addition to these direct encounters, students engaged in vital in-class activities, including:

• Mapping Bexley’s food system.
• Creating mind maps on concepts such as food sovereignty, food apartheid, food swamp, food desert, and food oasis.
• Examining the food system in low-income Columbus neighborhoods.

The project’s next phase will translate this learning into direct community service by creating a “Welcome to America” experience for 19 immigrant families from countries including Haiti, Tanzania, and Afghanistan. Students will use their research to plan and prepare meals while considering each family’s specific ages, health needs, cultural traditions, dietary restrictions, and food preferences.

The project will conclude with students producing a cooking video and a recipe, both translated into the home language of the “adopted” family. These resources, packaged with all the necessary ingredients, will be delivered as a home-delivery meal, allowing families to cook along.

This unique blend of personal narrative, academic research, and practical service work allows students to fully embody the project’s goal: going to a restaurant is like stepping into a story and tasting those imagined flavors in real life. By sharing a meal, students are not just studying culture – they are creating real emotions and memories, fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse people who make up our Central Ohio community.

Bexley Students Excel at Model UN Conference, Earning Accolades for Diplomacy and Innovation

By Chad Hemmelgarn, Leader of Experiential Learning

Bexley students recently showcased exceptional diplomacy, critical thinking, and collaborative spirit at the annual Model United Nations Conference, representing our district with tremendous distinction and earning numerous accolades. The conference proved to be a major success, with students tackling complex global issues ranging from pharmaceutical independence to national sovereignty and climate solutions. 

A special congratulations is due to students who secured  and served in key leadership roles: Bennett Borich campaigned diligently and secured the prestigious position of Human Rights Council President, while Reece Goldman and Jack Elliott proudly served as Council Presidents. Their success and dedication are a testament to their leadership. The entire delegation proudly represented Bexley, demonstrating the high caliber of our students on a state-wide stage.

One of the conference’s most celebrated achievements came from the delegation representing Algeria, comprised of Avion Phommasathit, Noah Kermisch, Charlie Vilensky, Kellen Diffley, Luke Helon, Ben Ornstein, and Collin Zupnik. The team drafted a resolution aimed at strengthening Algeria's pharmaceutical sector through modernization of government standards, education of the upcoming workforce, and international collaboration. Their success was years in the making; delegate Luke Helon shared the team’s inspiring journey: “Freshman year, my group lost 2-8, then sophomore year we lost 4-6, and then this year, we finally passed 12-0 and went to the General Assembly, where we also passed as one of the 10 out of 161 teams at the whole conference. I have learned so much about the process of drafting and creating innovative solutions.”

The delegation representing Belarus, including Madeline Ireland, Madeline Thomas, Sydney Holt, Payton Theile, and Isabella Mendez, also championed an innovative and timely resolution. Addressing Belarus's unhealthy alliance with and reliance on Russia for fossil fuel imports, their resolution proposed a solution to regain sovereignty and fight the climate crisis by requesting funds to build wind turbines in rural areas across the nation. This experience provided significant personal growth for the students. Delegate Payton Theile commented on the impact of the conference: “I really enjoyed Model UN this year because it gave me the confidence to give voice to my ideas on important issues in the world. Model UN also helped me gain perspective on the struggles and burdens countries are currently dealing with, as well as the urgency to want to be an agent of change.”

The skills developed during the Model UN Conference – including research, negotiation, public speaking, and complex problem-solving – are invaluable for these future leaders. These successes highlight the intellectual rigor and dedication of our students, who continue to demonstrate that they are prepared to tackle global issues with maturity and innovative spirit. Finally, we extend our sincere gratitude to our volunteer chaperones, Alise Kermisch, Randy Dupler, and Shirley Corrigan, whose kindness and help were essential in ensuring a smooth and memorable experience for all students.

BE A CHAMPION

District Staff Member Honored as ‘Champion’

To start the new year, we honor longtime district staff member Mark Cooper as a Champion for others.

Mr. Cooper, a member of the district maintenance team, was recognized for his Integrity, one of the district’s seven core values. A high school staff member recognized Mr. Cooper for his “tireless effort and dedication” to the schools. The nomination called his work “a testament to his incredible character,” which “sets a positive example to everyone about the value of hard work and fulfilling our comments (even when others may or may not know they are happening).”

Pictured, from left: Superintendent Dr. Jason Fine; High School Counselor Sara Revetta; High School Counselor Casey Teeters; High School Secretary Amy Nance; Mark Cooper; and High School Counselor David Leland.

It stated, “So often, we all assume the field is 'just ready' for the game, the basketball gym is 'just set up' for the game, the hallway lockers 'just work,' and the maintenance requests are 'just taken care of.' The needs of the district don't just happen. They are result of people like Mark who take pride in their work and believe they are helping to make a difference in the lives of others.” Way to BE Mr. Cooper!

Reminder! Free Breakfast Program Available to All Bexley Students

Bexley Schools continue to offer free breakfast for all students this school year. Encourage your students to start their school day with a nutritious breakfast!

Encourage your students to start the school day with a healthy breakfast! Breakfast is served in each school cafeteria at the following times:

• Cassingham Complex: 7:45-8:35 a.m.
• Maryland Elementary: 7:45-8:10 a.m.
• Montrose Elementary: 7:45-8:10 a.m.

Don’t forget that in order for breakfast to be free, a student must select a whole breakfast consisting of one item from three of the four food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk. Breakfast options vary day to day, but a variety of options are always available, including a hot item, such as a breakfast sandwich or breakfast burrito. The schools’ breakfast menu is available online.

Students who select a single food item rather than a whole breakfast will need to pay for that item individually. Food Services staff members can help students determine what to select for a free meal.

The universal free breakfast program is ongoing after the Bexley Board of Education approved its continuation in April 2024. Board authorization also requires the program to be reevaluated if the cost is projected to exceed $125,000 in a given year.

From the Bexley Parent Mentor Newsletter

IEP/504 Discussion Topic: Executive Functioning

What Is Executive Functioning?
Executive functioning (EF) skills are the mental processes that help us plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. These are the skills that help us become goal-oriented individuals. As adults, we use these skills every day, but they aren’t skills we are born with. They begin to emerge in the first year of life and continue to develop into early adulthood, tied to prefrontal cortex development. 

As parents/guardians, it can be difficult to determine whether our child’s challenges in organization, task initiation, or time management are developmentally appropriate. Executive functioning does not provide visible markers of growth. We can’t spot EF development (or growth spurts) the same way we can easily identify a few inches of height gain. 

Asking Questions — Where Should We Start?
Reaching out to a classroom teacher or principal is always a good place to start. Asking questions about grade-level development can build a deeper understanding of your child’s strengths, struggles, and areas for growth. It can also support collaboration between home and school. Questions you can ask teachers about executive functioning skills include:

• “What kind of growth or developed skills should we anticipate during this age/grade?”
• “How are these skills developed within the classroom and across the school year (for all students)?”
• “How does my child compare to other students in the same grade or age around executive functioning skills?”

In the Classroom - Executive functioning skills are built into everyday classroom structure. Although expectations differ by grade, universal classroom strategies used in Bexley classrooms might include visual schedules or visual supports, breaking down tasks or assignments, teaching classroom routines, and modeling. Teachers may trial different strategies or interventions as part of Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).   

Continued Concerns -  If concerns persist, it may be necessary to discuss and select specific, actionable strategies that can be implemented in the classroom or written into your child’s IEP or 504 plan. Questions a parent might ask that could be helpful include:

• “Are there accommodations needed to support my child’s executive functioning skills?” (Reminder: accommodations are changes in environment or tools to remove barriers for students with disabilities. They do not change instruction.)
• “Does my child need Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in this area?” (Reminder: SDI is a change to how the material or skill is taught, not just how it is accessed. For example, a request for SDI might include a different method and explicit instruction on a specific skill, not just providing a visual aid.)

This year, the Bexley school district is piloting the SMARTS Executive Functioning Curriculum for the delivery of SDI. 

If your child doesn’t already have a 504 plan or IEP, you may be wondering whether an evaluation is needed. If you decide to request an evaluation, best practice is to make the request in writing (via email) and include the classroom teacher and building principal. Click links for more information about 504 evaluations, special education evaluations, and the Bexley School Communication Chart.

Get more news about special education, including upcoming events, in the December Parent Mentor newsletter, which is available online.

Important Dates

Jan. 5 (Mon.) – No Classes for Students; Teacher Workday

Jan. 6 (Tues.) – Classes Resume for All Students

Jan. 7 (Wed.) – Middle School PTO Meeting, 7 p.m., School Library

Jan. 9 (Fri.) – Middle School One-Act Play, The Day Aliens Attacked Fairfield, 7:30 p.m., Cassingham Theatre; Tickets are available at the door or online

Jan. 12 – 14 (Mon.-Wed.) – Middle School Musical Auditions, Footloose Youth Edition, 3:30 p.m., Cassingham Theatre

Jan. 14 (Wed.) – Board of Education Regular Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Bexley City Hall (Organizational Meeting Begins at 6 p.m.)

Jan. 15 (Thurs.) – College Information Night for Juniors, 6 p.m., Schottenstein Theatre

Jan. 16 (Fri.) – Montrose Family Dance, 6:30 p.m., School Gymnasium

Jan. 19 (Mon.) – Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No Classes; District Closed

Jan. 20 (Tues.) – Middle School Musical Crew Interviews, Footloose Youth Edition, 3:30 p.m., Schottenstein Theatre

Jan. 23 (Fri.) – Cassingham PTO Meeting, 8:35 a.m.; check in at office